Locking bracket



Nov. 7, 1961 E. L. FEATHERINGHAM 3,007,662

LOCKING BRACKET Filed Feb. 24. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l R m m m 1951 E. FEATHERINGHAM 3,007,662

LOCKING BRACKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24. 1960 Earl L. Feafheringham IN VENTOR.

Fire

Filed Feb. 24, 1960, Ser. No. 10,714 Claims. (Cl. 248-482) This invention relates to brackets and supports and more particularly to a locking bracket for rain gutters and the like to enable the rain gutters to be initially installed with greater ease and principally, to enable the rain gutters to be removed and the major portion of the bracket itself also removed for maintenance and repair behind the rain gutter. Further, the three sides of the gutter may be maintained or painted, both inside and outside with no hazard forming obstructions.

Briefly, the invention is embodied in a bracket assembly which may be used in some instances as the sole support for an object but which will ordinarily be used in numbers to support an object along the length thereof. The bracket assembly is uniquely joined to a supporting structure so that the shelf bracket ofthe bracket assembly may be removed at any time for inspection, maintenance and repair behind the bracket.

As applied to the typical environment, the object afforded is assumed to be a conventional rain gutter ofany cross-sectional configuration and of any material. The rain gutters are ordinarily painted from time to time when the type of material requires such maintenance. However, the supporting structure for the bracket is never painted because once removed, a conventional bracket cannot ordinarily be replaced in the same spot and furthermore, the removal of conventional brackets is an unenviable job.

An object of the invention is to provide a bracket assembly which is so simple to remove and replace that the home owner will be prompted to maintain the supporting structure behind the rain gutter, this usually amounting to a coat of paint every year or two.

The above brief description is given by way of example only. There are other circumstances, structural arrangements and organization of parts and objects which make it desirable to have objects removably supported on a supporting surface. The brackets in accordance with the invention may well be used for these various purposes.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a house and a part of a rain gutter supported at two places by means of two identical bracket assemblies in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale and taken approximately on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of one of the bracket assemblies in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modification of the bracket assembly.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing another modification.

In the accompanying drawings there is an illustration of a dwelling 10 having a roof 12 and a trim board 14 beneath the edge of the roof 12. A conventional rain gutter 16 is shown in FIGURE 1, and the rain gutter is supported in part by two identical assemblies 18 and 20. The bracket assemblies 18 and 20 exemplify the principles of the invention, and it is to be understood that these are configured to receive the standard rain gutter 16 but may be shaped somewhat different to receive different types of rain gutters (FIGURES 5 and 6) or to receive different objects. The typical assembly 18 (FIG- URES 2-4) is made of a lower pin 22 and an upper pin 24. The lower pin may be configured as a headed or headless nail and driven directly into the trim board 14, while the upper pin 24 is fixed to a mounting plate 26, and the mounting plate has a group of holes therein to receive conventional fasteners, for instance screws 28 holding the mounting plate fastened securely to the trim board 14. It is preferred, although not essential, that the mounting plate 26 be recessed in an opening in the face of trim board 14. The pins 22 and 24 are installed in a vertical plane. FIGURE 7 discloses a modification wherein the lower pin 22 is substituted by a staple 22a driven into trim board 14.

Bracket assembly 18 has a shelf bracket 30 made of a backing plate or strip 32 having an upper aperture 34 and a lower aperture 36. The aperture 34 is in a slanted portion 38 of strip 32, and there is sufiicient inherent resilience in the wavy end 40 of strip 32 so that the slanted portion 33 may be manually deflected. The edges of opening 34 bind against the surface of pin 24, while pin 22 fits reasonably snugly in opening or aperture 36. When the openings of strip 32 are engaged with pins 22 and 24, shelf bracket 30 is rigidly held securely fastened to trim board 14. The form shown in FIGURE 7 differs in that the lower end of strip 32 is held in place by staple 22a, and may be easily removed by lifting the strip 32 while leaving the staple, or by removing the staple.

Shelf bracket 30 has an essentially U-shaped member 42 fixed to the front face of strip 32. The U shaped member has a lower sidefl tforming a rest for the gutter 16, a connecting member 46 which is riveted, spot welded or otherwise secured to the front face of strip 32, and an upper side or member 48 which is parallel but spaced from side or member 44. The side or member 48 fits over the rear upper edge of the gutter 16.

Two bracket parts 52 and 54 complete the bracket assembly. The bracket part 52 is curved toconform to the curvature of the front wall of the gutter 16 and has an approximately cylindrical hinge barrel 56 at its lower extremity. The hinge barrel is engaged with the side 58 of an aperture 60 formed at the outer extremity of member 44 thereby hingedly connecting part 52 with the shelf bracket 3 The opposite end of part 52 has an inwardly extending tongue 62 which overlies the front upper edge of the gutter 16.

Part 54 has an angular inner end 66 engageable in an opening 68 formed in the U-shaped member side 48. The intermediate reach of part 54 is essentially flat and reinforced by depending flanges 7!) partially along the length of the edges thereof. A resilient catch formed by a downturned tongue 72 is adapted to engage over tongue 62. A finger-grip 74 formed by a curved extremity of tongue 72 fits approximately flush with a portion of the outer face of part 52 when part 54 is clamped on part 52.

In use, the gutter may be removed by unfastening parts 52 and 54 and allowing part 52 to swing downwardly to the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 2. Thereafter, the shelf bracket 30 may be removed by deflecting the upper end of strip 32 to release the frictional bond existing between the side walls of opening 34 and pin 24. The reverse procedure takes place in installing the bracket assembly and placing the gutter 16 therein. 7

Reference is now made to FIGURES 5 and 6. These views show that the configuration of the bracket assembly may .be altered to suit a specific need. For instance rain gutter 16a is of a shapeditferent from rain gutter 16 and therefore shelf bracket 30a is shaped somewhat different. Instead of having the U-shaped member of shelf bracket 30a made of one piece, it is made of two pieces including an L-shaped member 80 which is secured to strip 32a. The part which corresponds to side 48 is made at the extremity of an arcuate part 82, and arcuate part 82 is spot welded or otherwise secured to the L- shaped member 80. Part 52a is shaped to conform to the exterior surface of the gutter 16a, and the same holds true of part 54a. Otherwise, the functional utility of assembly 18a is identical to that of assembly 18'. In instances wherein different objects or different types of gutters are to be supported, similar minor modification will be either desirable or required.

For example, the spouting shelf and its parts may be painted and drip dried to simplify maintenance. They may be of trim color or matching color.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A bracket assembly comprising a strip having a pair of spaced apertures therein, a portion of said strip being angulated, one of said apertures being in said angulated portion, a plurality of fixed pins spaced from each other and with which to engage said apertures whereby said strip may be mounted on said pins and removed from said pins, said angulated portion being resilient whereby it may be bent, tensioned and released to frictionally grip and lock on the pin therein, a shelf bracket connected with said strip and on which to support an object.

2. A bracket assembly comprising a strip having a pair of spaced apertures therein, a portion of said strip being angulated, one of said apertures being in said angulated portion, a plurality of fixed pins spaced from each other and with which to engage said apertures whereby said strip may be mounted on said pins and removed from said pins, said angulated portion being resilient whereby it may be bent, tensioned and released to frictionally grip and lock on the pin therein, a shelf bracket connected with said strip and on which to support an object, said shelf bracket having a pair of spaced members, and locking parts connected with said members to embrace an object.

3. A bracket assembly comprising a strip having a pair of spaced apertures therein, a portion of said strip being angulated, one of said apertures being in said angulated portion, a plurality of fixed pins spaced from each other and with which to engage said apertures whereby said strip may be mounted on said pins and removed from said pins, said angulated portion being resilient whereby it may be bent, tensioned and released to frictionally grip and lock on the pin therein, a shelf bracket connected with said strip and on which to support an object, said shelf bracket having a pair of spaced members, and locking parts connected with said members to embrace an object, said locking parts and said members having means connected therebetween for hingedly connecting said locking parts to said members of said bracket.

4. A bracket assembly comprising a strip having a pair of spaced apertures therein, a portion of said strip being angulated, one of said apertures being in said angulated portion, a plurality of fixed pins spaced from each other and with which to engage said apertures whereby said strip may be mounted on said pins and removed from said pins, said angulated portion being resilient whereby it may be bent, tensioned and released to frictionally grip and lock on the pin therein, a shelf bracket connected with said strip and on which to support an object, said shelf bracket having a pair of spaced members, and locking parts connected with said members to embrace an object, said locking parts and said members having means connected therebetween for hingedly connecting said locking parts to said members of said bracket, clamping means at the juncture of said locking parts for separably attaching said locking parts together.

5. The subject matter of claim 4 wherein said clamping means include on one of said locking parts a tongue, a tongue on the other of said locking parts, and said tongues being frictionally engageable with each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 213,034 Bingham Mar. 11, 1879 1,627,494 Dwyer May 3, 1927 2,536,704 Shea Jan. 2, 1951 2,915,799 Andreasen Dec. 8, 1959 

